TEXT MESSAGING
2day u r going 2 transl8 the article n2 txt msg
At times it is difficult to capture the reluctant learners’ attention; therefore it is
pertinent to be at least one step ahead of the students. It is a proven fact that a
student learns better when he/she is able to relate in some fashion to the
information that is being presented. In our vast growing world of ever changing
technology, it is detrimental for an educator not to keep abreast of the latest
innovations. One of the most popular means of communication is a cellular phone
and text messaging. Using magazine articles and text messaging to teach the
students many different aspects of literature is one way to draw the students
back into the world of learning.
Objectives:
Data compression is commonly used multiple fields. For students entering a world
in which professional communicate in abbreviations, it is important for students to
be able to understand the full message compressed text. This lesson teaches the
students to explore the author’s intended audience, summarize the article, figure
out the tone, learn new vocabulary and investigate new ideas.
Executing the lesson:
Choose an array of different types of magazines, Time, Forbes, Science Discovery.
Make two photocopies of each the articles. Allow the students to choose which
article they would like to read. As they are reading the article they will translate
the article into text messaging format. When the student has completed the
translation they will locate a partner who has translated the same article and
compare their translation to the other person’s. Each student will then have to
summarize the text message summary into the traditional form. They will also
have to answer the following questions: Who is the audience? What tone does the
author use? Are there any foreign words used in the article? If so find the
definition of the word.
Evaluation and Assessment:
Teachers can assess students understanding of data compression through
observation of the students’ participation in the lesson. A formal discussion of the
process and the purpose of data compression will allow the teacher to evaluate if
students have fully understood the purpose of learning to compress and
decompress text. Also, the teacher will be able to evaluate if communicating
through the students most common means of communication, text messaging,
helped the students interpret and analyze the given articles.